“I had to dig so deep not to give up. It’s almost like sports psychology, you just have to keep thinking it’s not over yet, even though I felt beaten so many times. Emotionally it was draining.”

A year on, however, Frances has recovered from the trauma that accompanies reality TV and has become, in her own words, a “culinary conductor”, creating edible masterpieces for big name brands and events.

From intricate wedding cakes designed for private clients to cookies commissioned by Nike, Frances escorts each of her bakes to its final destination.

I started panicking that someone was going to ask me to share out the shortbread for sustenance. I got there in the end, bake intact thankfully

Frances Quinn

“I keep a real good eye on them,” she says with a wry smile.

“It’s not like flatpack furniture where you can shove everything in a bag. Trying to get bakes on the Tube and escalators isn’t easy.

“I was taking shortbread to The Hepworth gallery in Wakefield on the train when it ground to a halt for two hours. I started panicking that someone was going to ask me to share out the shortbread for sustenance. I got there in the end, bake intact thankfully.”

After an eventful series, where she was labelled by judge Paul Hollywood as having “style over substance”, Frances was crowned Bake Off queen last October.

More than 9.1million tuned into the final to watch Frances beat favourites Ruby Tandoh and Kimberley Wilson with her three-tiered Midsummer Night’s Dream inspired wedding cake.

Despite being the underdog throughout the show Frances was clearly the people’s choice and it appears we still can’t get enough of the bubbly brunette.

Her post-show success has seen her grace the pages of Vogue, attend the Baftas and she even spent New Year’s Eve with Jools Holland at his annual Hootenanny.

Frances competing in the series four final of Bake Off [BBC PH]

“I didn’t go on the show for the 15 minutes of fame but I do get recognised all the time now.

“Even when I go swimming I get people coming up to me in the changing rooms,” says Frances, who is single and lives on her own in Leicestershire.

“I’m tall so that makes me more conspicuous. I don’t want to get too carried away with the whole fame thing because ultimately I need to concentrate on my bakes. That’s what I want to do for ever.”

She also has a plethora of dedicated famous fans. Singer Will Young and DJ Jo Whiley approached her at a charity event to say they were star struck.

“That was odd,” she chuckles.

However there are two very high profile celebrities who she now counts as friends, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. They may be chums now but Frances says it wasn’t always that way and that the pair were enigmas while the show was being filmed.

“They were nice but we didn’t get to know them as well as Mel and Sue,” says Frances.

“They disappeared when the cameras stopped rolling. I don’t think they were meant to get as emotionally attached so it’s been nice to spend time with them at events since I won because we’re all much more relaxed.”

On the show it was a different case entirely with both judges prone to delivering cutting remarks. “The feedback would vary from person to person, week to week and that was difficult,” Frances recalls.

“I took a lot of criticism and being labelled ‘style over substance’ was gutting. Paul said it to begin with and I remember going home and thinking it was awful. Then that became my catchphrase.

“I didn’t cry on screen and everyone said I was very good at taking criticism even though I was breaking inside. Having a design background I’m used to it so that stood me in good stead.

“I’d cry to friends and family on the phone but weeks elapsed between my being upset and the episode airing.”

One group of people who knew exactly how Frances was feeling was her fellow contestants, who she insists were far more friends than foes.

“We all genuinely liked each other and looked out for each other,” she says. “But it was still a competition. That last taxi drive to the tent for the final was nail biting.”

The day after she won Frances went into work as normal. Two months elapsed before the final aired and the close friends and family who’d witnessed her win were sworn to secrecy.

“No one wants to play poker with me any more,” laughs Frances. “It was a bizarre experience. I was sitting at my desk getting emails wondering if it had all been a dream. It was this crazy intense period and then I went back to my usual daily life.

“Then the night my win aired it was insane, my phone was literally jumping up and down and my email inbox had 11,000 emails and my blog following went from 13,000 up to 32,000 during that night alone.”

Although things are slightly calmer now the phone hasn’t really stopped ringing since. There’s a book in the pipeline, TV offers and she is forever taking new orders for her bakes.

As the new series approaches Frances is just thankful that Tuesday nights no longer put the fear of God into her.

“I’m glad to be able to just relax and watch the show this time,” she says. “Some weeks I just didn’t want to watch it at all last year. I didn’t know if it was going to be as bad as I remembered. Tuesday nights were always very stressful,” she adds.

“Of course I absolutely loved it but I’ve never known anxiety like it. It’s a totally alien environment. When I’m baking I normally have music on and am in my own little world.

“With 10 cameras all over you and a barrage of questions it was impossible to concentrate. When I do demonstrations now people say I’m a natural and don’t get stressed but that’s because Bake Off prepares you for anything.”